Mailer



lAug. 11, 1970 R. J. MooNAN 3,523,638

MAILER Filed July 9, 1968 3 Sheets-S heet 5 Messnoa No C 0 0 O O O O OO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOO auvemon. [loben-r J. Moomnu bwmqwgbdq United States 'Patent O 3,523,638 MAILER Robert J. Moonan, 4 E. School Lane, Yardley, Pa. 19067 Filed July 9, 1968, Ser. No. 743,546 Int. Cl. B65d 27/00 U.S. Cl. 229-921 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A single sheet of cardboard or heavy paper has a marf ginal strip defined by weakened lines and coated with adhesive. On folding of the sheet, confronting, coated areas of the strips adhere and effect a marginal seal. By tearing ofir the marginal strips along the weakened lines, the mailer is opened.

In one modification, an added panel, integral with the sheet, is freed when the marginal strips are removed.

In another modification, the sheet has an adhesively coated divider strip. This provides connected mailers separated and opened Iby removing the marginal and divider strips.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to the art of foldable mailers, generally for advertising purposes though not necessarily restricted to this particular usage. The invention may appropriately be considered as relating, in its 'broadest aspects, to the field of paper receptacles, and within this field, to such devices as envelopes, wrappers, or mailing sheets, though it is appropriate to observe at this juncture that the mailer may very likely carry a printed message exposed upon opening of the mailer, either with or without an additional enclosure. Thus, though the mailer is basically of envelope-like characteristics, it is indeed possible that it may have no contents in the sense of the usual material enclosed within an envelope.

Description of the prior art Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide mailers of the envelope and mailers of the combination letterand-envelope type, in which the article is a single sheet of material folded upon itself and sealed for passage through the mails. Most usually, however, these articles are relatively expensive so far as folding and sealing is concerned, and also with respect to the particular shape of the sheet. As a result, the articles as heretofore patented have not, it is believed, been commercially feasible for the reason that they cannot be processed readily through paper folding and sealing machines of modern design. And, a further deficiency has been noted in the prior art articles in that they have in many instances been so shaped as to produce excessive waste of material.

It has also been noted, with respect to prior art devices, that the opening of the mailer has not been simplified to the maximum degree.

Still further, it had additionally been observed that the provision of twin mailers has not been achieved to the extent permitting efficient and inexpensive commercial production.

Nor has the prior art produced the concept of a single sheet which, when opened, after receipt in the mails, provides a loose enclosure within the opened article, which enclosure becomes loose responsive to the act of opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is primarily concerned with advertising mailers. In modern business operations, advertising ex- ICC penses are on the rise, and it has become increasingly important to achieve as much advertising coverage as possible, at the lowest possible cost. The use of mailers is, of course, recognized as a highly effective means for obtaining new business and keeping present customers, but one of the problems noted has been the rather substantial cost in printing, folding, and mailing articles of this type. Of importance, too, is the desirability of providing a mailer in which gift coupons, or three-dimension gifts, can be inserted. Inserting machines are not only expensive, but involve substantial operating costs, in many instances.

'Considering all these surrounding circumstances, the present invention comprises, in each of its various forms, no -more than a single sheet of material, such as heavy paper or a relatively thin cardboard. In accordance with the invention, and in one form thereof, a simply shaped, rectangular sheet folds on itself, to provide an envelopelike mailer, the interior of which can carry a printed message, said mailer also 'being adapted to receive an inserted object such as a gift or gift coupon. Weakened areas are provided upon the sheet, in the form of lines ofperforations or score lines, and the folded mailer is readily torn along these weakened areas, throughout a substantial part of its periphery. As a result, by tearing off the edge portions, the mailer is opened easily and swiftly. The edge portions, it may be noted, are coated with adhesive in such fashion that responsive to the mere folding of the article, said edge portions adhere to one another in face-to-face contact.

In another form, there are two fold lines, defining three panels, one of which is sandwiched between the others in the folded condition of the article. Removable, peripheral sealing strips are so arranged that when they are torn 0E, not only is the mailer opened, but also, the sandwiched panel becomes free responsive to the act of opening the mailer, and may thus serve as a loose enclosure, such as a gift coupon or the like.

In yet another form, a twin mailer arrangement is designed, so that on removal of the sealing strips, two separate and distinct advertising messages or units are produced, both of which would have been mailed at the cost of a single such unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a face view of one form of mailer according to the present invention, in its unfolded condition;

FIG. 2 is an edge elevational View of the unfolded mailer;

FIG. 3 is a face view of the mailer of FIG. l, in its folded, sealed condition, as it appears when ready for mailing;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view in which the removable sealing strip has been partially torn off during opening of the mailer;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the opened mailer, an inserted gift being shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 6 is a face view of a modified form;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, showing the opposite face of the modified form;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the modified form of FIGS. 6y and 7, as it appears during folding thereof;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the folded and sealed mailer of FIGS. 6-8, ready for mailing;

FIG. l0 is a face view of another modification of the mailer;

FIG. 1l is an elevational view of the FIG. l() mailer, as it appears when folded ready for mailing; and

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the mailer shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, with the sealing strip removed to permit opening of side-by-side, twin mailers provided in this form of the invention,

3 PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring first to FIGS. 1-5, this is the simplest form of the invention, and as will be noted, the mailer 14 comprises a single sheet 16, which can be heavy paper, a thin cardboard, or the like. The sheet is of rectangular form, and extending transversely thereacross, immediately between the opposite ends of the sheet, is a fold line 17.

In accordance with the invention, the sheet is also provided with a plurality of lines that weaken the material of the sheet so that it can be readily torn along said lines, these being indicated at 18 and 20. Lines 18 extend in parallel, closely spaced relation to opposite side edges of the sheet, perpendicularly intersecting the fold lines 17. Lines 20 extend transversely of the sheet adjacent the respective ends thereof, in parallel relation to the fold line.

Lines 18, 20, thus, are arranged in a rectangular series corresponding to the rectangular configuration of the sheet, whereby to define marginal areas or strips 24. On one face of the sheet, the strips 24, which cooperate to define a peripheral sealing area on the sheet, are coated with adhesive 26.

Referring to FIG. 1, it is thus seen that the provision of the fold line 17 defines at opposite sides thereof panels 28, 30. On the face of the sheet upon which the adhesive is coated, a printed message can be provided on one or both panels. On the opposite face of the sheet, an address 22 is provided, when the article is deposited in the mails.

The arrangement is such that if desired, a gift G can be inserted, when the mailer is folded. The gift would quite possibly be three-dimensional that is, a relatively hat object or objects, such as coasters, etc. Or, the gift G could be a special gift certificate or the like. In any event, it is not essential that the mailer have a gift inserted therein, since the printed messages upon the panels may themselves convey the desired advertising message, without anything more.

When the sheet is folded upon the lines 17, panels 28, are disposed in confronting relation, as seen from FIG. 4, and the several adhesively coated strips 24 also are in confronting relation with the rows of perforations or score markings 18, 20 being registered with one another. The adhesive can be of the type that does not require moistening, whereby the act of folding the panels on one another will cause the strips to be connected in face-to-face, contacting relation as shown in FIG. 4. The fold lines 17 provide one edge of the mailer when it is ready for mailing, while the removable strips 24 define the other three edges of the rectangular, mailed article.

The recipient merely tears off the three sides defined by the strips 24, along the lines 18, 20, as shown in FIG. 4. As a result, the mailer is opened, and gift G, if there be one, is removed. The construction is, obviously, quite simple, and constitutes, essentially, a fiat sheet in whatever size may be needed to accommodate a threedimensional gift. The arrangement of the fold lines and the weakened score lines, and the disposition of the adhesive, presents no production problems so that maximum production speeds can be obtained, both in manufacture of the mailer, and in preparing the same for deposit in the mails.

In FIGS. 6-9, a modified form is shown. The mailer in this instance has been designated generally by the reference numeral 32, and includes a fiat, rectangular sheet 34, having parallel fold lines 36, 38 extending transversely thereof, at selected locations along the length of the sheet.

Fold line 38 is spaced from fold line 36 a distance such as to define, at opposite sides of the fold line 36, panels 40, 42 of like length and width. The provision of the fold line 38, further, defines a third panel 44 at one end of the sheet, contiguous to the intermediate panel 42.

The panels 40, 42 may if desired carry printed or written messages. Panel 44 can also carry a message, and is peculiarly adapted to serve as a gift coupon, complmentary ticket, or the like.

A row of perforations 46 extends parallel to the fold lines 36, 38 adjacent the end of the sheet remote from panel 44. The row of perforations could be a score line, or any other expedient that will facilitate tearing of the sheet along the lines 46.

Transverse score lines or rows of perforations are also provided as at 48, 50. These are at opposite sides of and are equidistantly spaced from the fold line 38, so as to register when the sheet is folded upon itself along line 38.

Longitudinal score lines or rows of perforations are also provided, adjacent the respective longitudinal edges of the sheet, as shown at 52.

Referring to FIG. 6, adhesive is coated upon the marginal areas defined between lines 52 and the adjacent longitudinal edges of the sheet, and is also coated upon the marginal area or strip defined between line 46 and the adjacent end at the edge of the sheet.

Referring now to FIG. 7,-on the opposite face of the sheet, as for example. on panel 40, address information can be provided. Also, adhesive 56 is coated upon the area defined between fold line 38 and weakened line 50, on said opposite or outer face of the sheet seen in FIG. 7. Adhesive 57 is coated upon said outer face, in the areas extending from the adjacent end edge of the sheet to fold line 38, and defined between the longitudinal edges of the sheet and weakened lines 52.

By reason of this arrangement, and referring now to FIG. 8, it may be noted that when the article is to be prepared for mailing, panel 44 is folded inwardly along line 38, after which panel 40 is folded into position overlying panel 44. When the article is fully folded as in FIG. 9 and is ready to be mailed, the adhesive 57 is brought into contact with the adhesive provided along the opposite sides of the inner face of the sheet, whereby panel 40 adheres to the inwardly folded panel 44 at the respective side edges thereof. Further, the adhesive 54 at the end of the sheet remote from panel 44 adheres to the adhesive 56 provided upon the outer face of the sheet along one side of fold line 38.

When the mailer is opened, one tears off the marginal strips along lines 52 and 46 shown in FIG. 9, that is, along the opposite sides and bottom of the mailer, viewing the same as in FIG. 9.

Tearing off the sealed, removable areas in this way not only opens the mailer similarly to the first mailer shown in FIGS. 1-5, but also, causes panel 44 to be cornpletely separated from the adjacent portion of the sheet responsive to the act of opening the mailer. Therefore, as the mailer opens, panel 44 becomes, in response to the removal of the marginal strips, a loose enclosure that drops Out of the opened mailer as though it had been inserted as a loose item in the first place.

Panel 44 might comprise a gift coupon or complimentary ticket, and as will be observed, the result is that without the necessity of inserting the coupon or ticket as a separate enclosure, the sender of the mailer still obtains the same effect as though said coupon had been so inserted. In other words, the recipient opens the envelope and finds a loose enclosure in it, but the sender does not have to go to the expense of separately inserting a loose item such as the article G shown in FIG. 1.

The savings that can result from an arrangement such as shown in FIGS. 6-9 are obviously considerable since the necessity of using special inserting machines for inserting enclosures within the mailer envelope is dispensed with entirely, not withstanding the fact that the recipient, when opening the mailer, finds a loose enclosure therein.

It will be understood that it is quite possible to provide additional panels such as the panel 44. For example, such panels could extend from opposite sides of the panel 32, and be folded inwardly into overlying relation, along with panel 44. In this way, when the mailer is opened, a plurality of loose enclosures, including for example free gift certificates of various kinds, will be found by the recipient.

In FIGS. -12, another modification is shown wherein the mailer has been generally designated 58. In this form, there is provided a rectangular sheet 60, having a single fold line 62 extending longitudinally centrally thereof. Transverse score lines or rows of perforations, providing tear lines in the sheet, are provided at 64, 66, 68, 70, with the lines 66, 68 being disposed in closely spaced relation intermediate opposite ends of the sheet, while lines 64, 70 are disposed adjacent the respective, opposite extremities of the sheet material.

By reason of this arrangement, there will be defined a pair of like panels 72, 74 and another pair of like, rectangular panels 76, 78.

Longitudinal rows of perforations, or score lines 80, 82, are also provided, adjacent the respective longitudinal edges of the sheet. These cooperate with the transverse tear lines in defining side-by-side, rectangular series of removable strips 84, 86, and as will be noted, the arrangement further defines a peripheral area coated with adhesive, as well as a transverse, adhesively coated area or divider strip 86.

In this arrangement, a printed message can be provided upon the panels, and one can also insert gift certificates or the like. Further, extension panels such as the panel 44 can 'be provided, integral with the panels 74, 78, if one should so desire. In any event, upon folding of the sheet along the lines 62, the face-to-face, adhesively coated strip areas 84, '86 adhere to one another so as to provide a seal about side-by-side envelopes, one of which is defined by the panels 72, 74 and the other of which is defined by the panels 76, 78.

This arrangement might, for example, be desired where the advertising mailer is to provide his and hers messages and gift coupons at the address to which the mailer is sent. In any event, the effect is to obtain a twin mailer, at the mailing expense, and at little more than the manufacturing expense, that normally obtains for a single mailer such as shown in FIG. 1.

When the mailer reaches its desination, the recipient removes the connected sealing strips as shown in FIG. l2, thereby opening the side-by-side envelopes for extraction of any gift coupons, certificates, gift items, or the like.

As noted previously, the inventive concepts disclosed herein can be combined in various ways, that is, the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 6-9` may very well be incorporated in a double or twin mailer such as shown in FIGS. 111-12. In all forms of the invention, itis worthy of' note, a quickly operable, inexpensively designed mailer is produced, that can be manufactured, addressed, and prepared for mailing at a comparatively low expense as compared to the mailer arrangements that have heretofore been most widely used in the dissemination of advertising material through the mails.

I claim:

1. A mailer comprising a sheet having (a) at least one fold line defining panels at opposite sides thereof, said sheet being foldable along said line to dispose said panels in confronting relation during movement through the mails;

(b) lines along which the sheet material is tearable,

said tear lines bounding panels of the sheet and defining strips extending about the panels in face-toface contact in the confronting relationship of the panels, each tear line being normal to opposite, edges of the sheet and extending the full distance between said opposite edges; and

(c) means connecting some at least of the contacting strips to seal the mailer, the several strips being bodily removable along the tear lines when the mailer is to be opened, said sheet being of rectangular configuration and having a pair of parallel fold lines extending thereacross defining three panels of equal length one of which is at one end of the sheet and is foldable along one fold line the remaining two panels being foldable along the other fold line, all the panels having tear strips along their respective ends, said one panel being sandwiched between said remaining tWo panels in the folded condition of the sheet, with its tear strips correspondingly sandwiched between and having the opposite faces adhesively secured to the tear strips of said remaining two panels.

2. A mailer comprising a sheet having (a) at least one fold line defining panels at opposite sides thereof, said sheet being foldable along said line to dispose said panels in confronting relation during movement through the mails;

(b) lines along which the sheet material is tearable,

said tear lines bounding panels of the sheet and defining strips extending about the panels in face-toface Contact in the confronting relationship of the panels, each tear line being normal to opposite, edges of the sheet and extending the full distance between said opposite edges; and

(c) means connecting some at least of the contacting strips to seal the mailer, the several strips being bodily removable along the tear lines when the mailer is to be opened, said sheet being of rectangular, elongated shape with the fold line extending longitudinally centrally thereof and one of said strips intersecting perpendicularly with the fold line intermediate the length of the sheet, the remaining tear strips extendnig the full distance along the sides and ends of the sheet and said one strip extending over the full transverse dimension of the sheet between those tear strips that extend longitudinally of the sheet at opposite sides thereof to define two pairs of panels, the panels of each pair confronting each other in the folded condition of the sheet to provide a double mailer having separate, like mailer portions when the strips are removed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,389 2/ 1872 Foster 229-92.1 1,163,459 12/1915 Rheutan 229-72 X 2,074,821 3/ 1937 Wissmann 229-921 1,63 5,278 7/ 1927 Kaplan 229-73 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,186y 5 1921 France.

(2nd Add. of 400,774)

7,750 1897 Great Britain. 17,078 1899 Great Britain. 15,215 1900 Great Britain.

320,813 9/ 1934 Italy.

13,783 9/ 1888 Great Britain. 11,271 6/ 1901 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner J. R. GARRETT, Assistant Examiner 

